BOISE STATE FOOTBALL: THE BRONCOS WIN A MIRACLE IN THE MOUNTAINS THANKS TO COACHING, RYPIEN, MATTISON … AND DEFENSE

Posted on November 12, 2017

BY MIKE PRATER
KTIK.COM

The Boise State football team trailed by 25 points in the first half, and by 14 points with less than two minutes remaining, only to rally for an improbable 59-52 overtime victory at Colorado State on Saturday night in Fort Collins, Colo. Junior quarterback Brett Rypien (23-of-43, 331 yards, 1 interception) tossed four TDs, including a pair to junior wide receiver Sean Modster (13 yards) and senior tight end Jake Roh (6) at the end of regulation. Sophomore running back Alexander Mattison (23 carries, career-high 242 yards, 3 TDs) scored on a 4-yard run to open overtime. The Broncos’ defense, which surrendered 35 points on five straight drives in the first half and 570 total yards, won the game when junior linebacker Leighton Vander Esch forced a fumble that was recovered by junior cornerback Tyler Horton on the 3-yard line of the Rams’ first OT possession. Senior wide receiver Cedrick Wilson recovered an onside kick to set up the winning drive, and Roh finished with five catches for 62 yards and two TDs. Boise State finished with 641 yards of total offense, and converted 9-of-13 third-down attempts. Boise State is 7-0 all-time against Colorado State (6-5, 4-3, three-game losing streak), including 4-0 in Fort Collins.

  • NEXT: Boise State (8-2, 6-0) vs. Air Force (4-6, 3-3), Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Saturday, Nov. 18, 8:15 p.m., ESPN2, KBOI 670 AM and KTIK 93.1 FM The Ticket. With a win, the Broncos would clinch the MW Mountain Division title and a spot in the MW championship game against San Diego State or Fresno State on Dec. 2.

PRATER’S POST-GAME POINTS

  • Bryan Harsin and his staff aren’t always the most popular people in Boise (always being compared to some guy named Pete), and the head coach was criticized on social media (again) after the Broncos gave up five straight touchdowns to start the game Saturday night. Rightfully so … then Harsin & Co. did what they have done all season: Coached the Broncos to a victory, in this case their sixth straight. Boise State beat Colorado State because of coaching, as was the case in the season opener against Troy when coaches masterfully juggled Rypien and backup quarterback Montell Cozart in the second half. The season hasn’t always been pretty, and there are warts: questionable play-calling vs. Washington State, not having the defense prepared for Virginia’s balanced attack, or why were cornerbacks playing 8-10 yards off CSU wide receivers? But, like it or not, Harsin and his staff might be having their best season, starting with a renewed emphasis in the offseason to win a conference title. Rypien and his offensive line are getting better every game, despite a dreadful start. Horton played better in the second half after a slow start, limiting star WR Michael Gallup to one catch and no yards (after 10 for 102 and a TD in the first half). Coaches have juggled the two-QB system perfectly, and rightfully limited Cozart’s reps in the second half; Rypien has emerged as the far-better quarterback and Cozart’s arm/legs weren’t needed. And that onside kick to win the game against Colorado State was brilliant, one of the best-executed onside kicks you’ll see in all of football this season. Harsin has a 2-0 record this month, making him 10-3 overall in the month of November since taking over Boise State. He’s a good coach having a mostly fantastic season.
  • Coaches also appear to have a handle on injuries, which are starting to mount. Wilson’s shoulder has become a major concern, and Mattison was limping Saturday night. Right guard Eric Quevedo, NT Sonatane Lui and DE Chase Hatada didn’t play. On defense, Vander Esch, LB Riley Whimpey and STUD Curtis Weaver played through injury issues Saturday night, and DT David Moa was limited. And BSU still won.
  • This Boise State team is gutsy – tough players fighting through a lot of mental and physical issues – but the defensive front needs to be healthy, or next Saturday against Air Force and its option attack could prove to be a long night.
  • The regular season home finale against Air Force will be interesting for three significant reasons, not including the injuries. Will Boise State beat Air Force for the first time since 2013? How many fans will show up for the second late-night kickoff of the season (students will be gone for Thanksgiving break, but it’s Senior Night, BSU is honoring the military and a MW title will be up for grabs)? And how will Boise State celebrate if it beats the Falcons? Will Harsin allow his players to celebrate a title, with Fresno State looming in the regular season finale a week later? Answers: Yes, 35,000-plus, and probably not very much.
  • NATIONAL: The new top four in the College Football Playoff rankings should be, in order, Alabama, Clemson, Miami, Oklahoma … and Sooners’ quarterback Baker Mayfield continues to lead the Heisman Trophy race after a crazy day in college football Saturday.


Mike Prater, editor of The Opinionator, co-hosts Idaho Sports Talk with Caves & Prater weekdays from 3-6 p.m. on KTIK 93.1 FM The Ticket and can be heard on Bronco GameNight after BSU football games on KBOI 670 AM and KTIK 93.1 FM. He can be reached at [email protected], and found @CavesandPrater (Facebook) and @MikeFPrater (Twitter).

POST-GAME NEWS & NOTES FROM BOISE STATE

  • Boise State’s 59-52 overtime victory over Colorado State keeps the Broncos unbeaten all-time against the Rams at 7-0.
  • The Broncos, at 8-2 overall and 6-0 in Mountain West play, can clinch the Mountain Division title with one more win over their final two games.
  • Boise State’s 25-point comeback (the Broncos trailed 28-3, in the second quarter) is the largest for the program since joining FBS (1996). The previous top comeback was when the Broncos overcame a 20-point deficit against San Diego State on Nov. 15, 2014 (38-29 win).
  • The overtime win snaps a three-game losing streak in such games for the Broncos. Boise State’s last overtime win was a 69-67, four-overtime win against Nevada on Oct. 14, 2007.
  • Boise State is 4-6 all-time in overtime contests, and 4-4 since joining the FBS in 1996.
  • Saturday night’s contest marks the first time that Boise State has played two overtime games in a single season.
  • Colorado State’s 21 first-quarter points were the most by a Broncos’ opponent since New Mexico scored 28 on Nov. 8, 2014.
  • The 18-point first quarter deficit (21-3) was Boise State’s largest since trailing Louisiana Tech 21-0 after a quarter Oct. 3, 1998.
  • Colorado State’s 52 points marked the first time a Broncos’ opponent hit the 50-mark since Utah State scored 52 on Oct. 16, 2015.
  • Mattison ran for 242 yards on 23 carries with three touchdowns. His rushing yards are the third-most in Boise State single-game history. It was the first 200-yard rushing game by a Bronco since Jeremy McNichols went for 206 yards against UNLV last Nov. 18.
  • Mattison’s career-long 70-yard touchdown rush (Boise State’s first play of 50+ yards this season) is the longest rush since McNichols’ 80-yard rush against Colorado State on Oct. 15, 2016. Mattison also scored on a 26-yard rush in the second quarter.
  • Roh finished the game with five catches for 62 yards and two touchdowns. He has nine touchdown catches this, the most by a Broncos’ tight end since Jeb Putzier had 12 in 2001. Roh now has a career-best 38 receptions this season, and his 408 receiving yards ties his career-best from the 2014 season.
  • Rypien posted his first 300-yard game of the season, throwing for 331 yards and four touchdowns with an interception. It was Rypien’s 12th-career 300-yard passing game.
  • Modster made a career-high five receptions, going for 62 yards and a touchdown, his second of the season.
  • Senior tight end Alec Dhaenens hauled in his first touchdown reception of the season on a 25-yard pass from Rypien in the third quarter.
  • Sophomore Emmanuel Fesili (NT) and freshman Octavius Evans (WR) each made the first starts of their careers. The Broncos have now had 20 players make the first starts of their careers this season. Boise State entered this week with the 11th-most such players in the country (Ball State and Illinois led the country with 28).
  • Redshirt freshman running back Robert Mahone had his first career touchdown on a 6-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter.
  • Freshman cornerback Avery Williams collected his second interception of the season in the third quarter. He also had a career-high nine tackles.
  • Freshman safety Kekoa Nawahine finished with 14 tackles (10 solo), a career-high mark (previous career high was 12). Horton also had a career-high 10 tackles (previous high was seven).
  • Junior defensive end Durrant Miles collected his second sack of the year, dropping Colorado State’s Nick Stevens for a three-yard loss in the third quarter.
  • Redshirt sophomore nose tackle Matt Locher came up with his first career sack in the fourth quarter.
  • Evans’ fumble with 3:08 left in the first quarter was the first turnover lost by the Boise State offense since an interception on the opening drive against BYU on Oct. 6, snapping a no-turnover streak of 309 minutes, 48 seconds.
  • Junior kicker Haden Hoggarth opened the scoring with a 36-yard field goal in the first quarter. Hoggarth is 12-of-13 in field goal attempts this season. He’s also 8-for-8 on PAT attempts.
  • Boise State allowed touchdowns on Colorado State’s first five drives, the first time an opponent has scored on its first five possessions – either field goal or touchdown – since at least 2006 (as far back as records go on hand). The last time an opponent scored on its first three drives came in the 2013 Hawaii Bowl, when Oregon State kicked a field goal and scored back-to-back touchdowns. The Broncos hadn’t allowed touchdowns on four straight possessions since Ole Miss did it in the 2014 season opener (Aug. 28, 2014).
  • The last time an opponent scored on five consecutive possessions at any point in a game was Nov. 26, 2010, at Nevada, when the Wolf Pack scored on five consecutive possessions (two straight touchdowns, a field goal, a touchdown and a field goal).
  • Senior WR/LS Brock Barr led the Broncos onto the field with The Hammer, senior running back Ryan Wolpin carried the Bleed Blue flag and freshman safety Jordan Happle carried the American flag Saturday night.
  • Backup quarterback Montell Cozart joined Rypien, Vander Esch and Wilson as game captains.

Courtesy of Boise State Athletics

Bronco Focus